7 amazing Chinese proverbs

Many Chinese proverbs are literally thousands of years old.. Some of them were created on their own, while others are derived from some legend. They all aim to condense a teaching about life. It is a didactic way of transmitting the knowledge gathered by that culture.

The word which designates Chinese proverbs is “Chengyu”. Almost all of these sentences are made up of four characters of the Chinese language. This is ideographic. Each character contains a broad meaning.

However, If something characterizes Chinese proverbs, it is their elegance. Also his poetics and his ability to symbolize reality. It is not for nothing that they have survived time and have spread throughout all the cultures on the planet. Below, we share seven good examples of these wonderful proverbs.

Chinese proverbs about will

The Orientals, and in particular the Chinese, have been characterized by a deep spirit of sacrifice and an enormous appreciation of will. Historically this town has endured great calamities and more than once has been reborn from its ashes. That’s why they place enormous value on that ability to stand firm. This is what they say here: “Great souls have wills; the weak just desires”.

Likewise, a good number of Chinese proverbs highlight the ability of human beings to shape their destiny. As they point out here: “You can’t stop the bird of sadness fly over your head, but you can prevent it from nesting in your hair”.

The mountain and life

The mountain is a metaphor that is used in many Chinese proverbs. It represents the difficulty, the obstacle. As in this sentence: “He who has moved the mountain is the one who started by removing the small stones”. The phrase is a tribute to patience, a source of strength in eastern cultures.

This other proverb has a similar meaning: “You have to climb the mountain as an old man to arrive as a young man.”. Here we also talk about patience, together with perseverance. He climbs the mountain like an old man, that is, he faces the obstacle prudently and slowly. “To arrive as a young person” means that the path renews those who walk it.

The true meaning of trust

One of the Chinese proverbs says: “The best closed door is the one that can be left open”. It is a beautiful teaching that contains a great truth, wrapped in beautiful poetic clothing. This proverb talks about trust.

In this case, the door is a symbol of what is being protected. It provides security and prevents the passage to something valuable. However, Trust cannot be placed in that barrier, but in the will of others not to cross it..

The excessive purity

The pure and the impure have been topics of analysis in religion, philosophy and culture. The pure is almost always associated with the positive and the impure with the negative. However, in this Chinese proverb that idea is turned on its head: “Water that is too pure does not have fish”.

This reflection tells us about the lack of humanity that exists in perfection. That is why water without life is called “sterile.” Where there is life, however, there is also contradiction. That is, what could be called “impurity.” A wonderful impurity that precisely gives rise to living things. Let’s not forget that success is the child of error, not of perfection.

Move forward, always move forward

The Chinese, like almost all Eastern cultures, are lovers of pauses. Unlike the West, they see haste as a defect, not a virtue. In itself, the construction of its history has lasted several centuries. They witness slow changes. This perspective is very well summarized here: “Don’t be afraid to be slow, just be afraid to stop.”.

In this case they tell us about the importance of staying active. This does not necessarily imply high dynamics, but rather a process in which progress is made step by step. Even if the goal is far away, as long as the progress is maintained, it will be reached..

Chinese proverbs are an inexhaustible source of wisdom and beauty. The most beautiful thing they have is their own way of suggesting, without directly saying. To call everyone to reflect, instead of delivering a “digested” absolute truth. That is precisely where his magic lies.

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